


Cuddles and Carob

by Taupefox59



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Banter, Chocolate makes everything better, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Love through Pastry, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Werewolf Girlfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 12:52:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11313789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taupefox59/pseuds/Taupefox59
Summary: Maia is having the worst week ever, but her girlfriend has a surprise that will make even the worst day seem like winning the lottery.





	Cuddles and Carob

**Author's Note:**

> So, I didn't manage to actually write *anything* during the hiatus, but I saved all of the SHAU Monday prompts, because I *liked* them, so I'm'na do 'em now. Ha!
> 
> Sincerest thanks to [ littleghost ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/littleghost/) for encouragement and hand-holding. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own - if you catch anything, please let me know! Con/Crit always welcome.

It took everything Maia had left in her to simply reach the haven of the coffee shop Gretel worked in. She pushed through the door and trudged back to her favourite table. Maia let her backpack fall to the floor and dropped onto the padded bench, collapsing onto the table with a groan. Calling it a terrible day was putting it lightly. So lightly. Lighter than a single piece of paper. Lighter than half a feather. Lighter than a single freaking molecule of oxygen.

Not that she knew anything about oxygen molecules. Organic chemistry had turned her brain into congealed oatmeal.

No, the table was lovely and cool. She was perfectly content to stay there. Her brain could drip out of her ears in peace. She could slowly petrify in the corner for all of eternity and never have to move, ever again.

At least, not until she had to get ready for her shift that night at Hunter’s Moon.

Maia let out a breath that wasn’t quite a whimper. Everything hurt and her brain was useless and she could  _ feel _ the full moon that was only a few days away, and shadowhunters kept showing up at her bar, and all she wanted to do was go home and cuddle her girlfriend and eat her entire body-weight in chocolate and she couldn’t do  _ any _ of it.

So instead, Maia was going to sit at her table and pretend to not exist.

  
  


Maia wasn’t sure how long she had been hiding from the world, but she’d almost scrounged up the willpower to go up and order something when a warm hand rested lightly on her shoulder.

Maia opened one eye and looked up into the smiling face of her girlfriend.

“Hey babe.” Gretel said softly, “Rough day?”

Maia groaned and pushed herself off the table so she was sitting up properly. “Organic chemistry is the bane of my existence.”

“I’m sure.” Gretel said, raising an eyebrow and suppressing laughter at Maia’s dramatics.

“How dare you mock my plight.” Maia faked a glare.

“Of course not. O-Chem is worse than wolfsbane.” Gretel said, blinking innocently.

“You are the worst and I hate you.”

“Obviously. Why else would we be dating?” Gretel agreed, nodding sagely.

“Definitely not because I love you.” Maia said, unable to hold back her smile.

“Good. Because it’s definitely not because I love you back.” Gretel replied. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Maia’s cheek. “Do you have time for dinner tonight before you go to work?”

Maia sighed. “Are you closing tonight?”

“I’m off in thirty minutes.”

“Why don’t we pick up something on the way home then?”

Gretel nodded again, smiling. “Sounds great. I have to get back behind the counter. Try not to wither away while I’m gone.”

Maia laughed. “No promises.”

Gretel rolled her eyes fondly. “You’ll be fine. No werewolf can get taken down by a measly chemistry class.”

“Just because you’ve never seen it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.”

“You’ll be fine.” Gretel said, friendly sarcasm lacing her tone. “I believe in you.”

Maia huffed a laugh. “Go back to work!”

Gretel laughed. “I love you!”

“I love you too.” Maia said, faking a grumpy pout.

Gretel snickered and shook her head, walking to her place behind the counter of the coffee shop.

With a heavy sigh, Maia reached for her bag on the floor. If she was going to be here for another thirty minutes, she might as well get something done.

  
  


“Alright you.”

Maia looked up from her notes with a start, only to see that Gretel had taken off her work apron and was holding something behind her back.

“You need to close your eyes.”

Maia frowned “Wha-”

“Nope!” Gretel said, “Trust me. Close your eyes.”

“Right.” Maia laughed and shut her eyes. “Trusting you.”

“Open your mouth.”

“Now I might be getting nervous.”

“You are not.”

Maia laughed again and opened her mouth.

The first thing she tasted was the plastic of the fork, but then she felt the sweet smooth buttercream pressed against the roof of her mouth, and her eyes opened wide. She closed her lips around the piece of cake, and stared at Gretel in confusion. It was delicious, there was no denying, and it was everything that Maia wanted, but there was also no mistaking the dark, bold, nutty flavour of chocolate.

Maia pulled her hand up to cover her mouth full of cake. “Gretel, what-”

“It’s not chocolate.”

Maia stared, still not swallowing the cake in her mouth. “What?”

“It’s not chocolate.”

Maia chewed slowly and swallowed. “What is it?”

“It’s carob.”

“Wait. What?”

“We just got it in. It’s new.”

“Carob.” Maia said, “As in the non-chocolate substitute? This place serves non-chocolate cake now?”

“It’s also gluten-free and vegan.” Gretel said with a shrug, “I mentioned that I thought there was a market for it.”

“So you convinced them to carry wolf-friendly chocolate.” Maia picked up the fork, and filled it with another bite of the cake. She let her eyes close and let out a delighted hum as she savored the flavour. It was rich and creamy and just the right side of bitter; the frosting was thick and sweet, blending perfectly with soft texture of the cake as it melted in her mouth.

It was the most amazing thing that she’d tasted in years.

She smiled up at Gretel. “I love you so much right now.”

“You love me all the time.” Gretel said with a smirk.

Maia cut another piece of cake and held it out. “Care to join me?”

“Always.” Gretel said, reaching over and running a finger through the frosting.

“Hey!”

Gretel made a show of licking the frosting off her finger before raising an eyebrow. “Or, we could always get another piece to go.”

“I think we should do both.”

Gretel grinned and sat down next to Maia at the table. “Both is always better.”

Maia leaned over and kissed her, “But you’re always best.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi! I am [here on tumblr!](http://taupefox59.tumblr.com/)


End file.
